England national team manager Thomas Tuchel arrived with a clear mandate – win the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
The German tactician is determined to end the six-decade wait for another World Cup, and you would not bet against the former Bayern Munich and Chelsea boss.
However, to accomplish his mission and conquer the world, Tuchel will have to overcome his demons. Read on as we look at three things he must do if he wants to get England over the line.
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Bin the old guard, trust the kids
Tuchel’s first England squad caught the football community by surprise. Jordan Henderson and Kyle Walker were inexplicably on the list.
Tuchel will be shooting himself in the foot if he continues to rely on these players when he has more exciting and capable options.
Henderson was the biggest shock.
The move to the Saudi Pro League should have spelt the end of his England career, but he somehow, upon his return to Ajax, received a call ahead of Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson.
Tuchel will claim that their experience matters, but did his experience stop Ajax from capitulating dramatically in the Eredivisie title race? How far has his experience taken England?
The same goes for Walker. After getting binned by Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, AC Milan took the punt on the ageing right-back and paid the price for such silliness.
His performances had Milan fans questioning whether they were wrong to sell the dreadful Emerson Royal.
How does his presence move the needle for England? Especially with the ridiculous depth they have at right-back.
Wharton, despite his injury concerns, has been sensational for Crystal Palace in the engine room, helping them clinch the FA Cup.
Anderson has also enjoyed success with Nottingham Forest as the livewire box-to-box operator. They should be the core of this new-look England side.
Tuchel needs to put down the old dogs for progress. He should be bold enough to axe these ageing, underperforming players and try fresh blood.
England’s midfield is crying out for a controller who can punch passes between the lines to kickstart attacks, and Henderson is not that man. Wharton very much is.
Wharton should be getting a look in alongside Declan Rice at the base of the midfield.
Tuchel complained about their play being flat and lacking movement during the win over Latvia in March, and the man to change that narrative is not Henderson. It is Wharton.
Cole Palmer must take centre stage – he makes things happen
Chelsea playmaker Cole Palmer capped off the season with a man-of-the-match display against Real Betis in the Europa Conference League final, providing two superb assists to turn the tie on its head.
Palmer is a man for the big moments, and Tuchel cannot make the same mistake Gareth Southgate made in his final days in the hot seat. He needs to give Palmer free rein.
He bagged 15 goals ls and eight assists in 37 league outings. He is decisive in the final third.
Palmer also possesses those jaw-dropping intangibles. Everything goes through him when he is on the pitch. He can take the bull by the horns and change a game with a deft touch or a simple movement.
His showing against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge this season was a typical example of his otherworldly ability.
He did not get the goal or assist, but his movement to misplace Curtis Jones made the opener happen.
The game flowed through him. When he slowed down, it did. When he moved, things began to shift. England has also witnessed his bewitching prowess.
Against the Netherlands at the 2024 European Championship, he came on and immediately sliced the thinnest of gaps for Ollie Watkins to fire home a 90th-minute winner.
Southgate had not learnt his lesson, persisting with Phil Foden for the final against Spain.
When he eventually smelled the coffee and brought him on, it did not take long for the Chelsea ace to deliver the goods.
Palmer arrowed a shot from a distance and injected fire into the game. Tuchel needs to utilise the Man City academy graduate. He can be the difference-maker for this team.
Foden has not lived up to expectations wearing the England shirt and needs to be sidelined for some time to allow Palmer to take centre stage.
The Wythenshawe-born attacker makes things happen, and England desperately needs things to happen at the 2026 World Cup as they bid to end this barren run.
Adventure and bravery over pragmatism – Tuchel needs to go for broke
If Tuchel wants to deliver the most coveted national trophy to England, he must shed the safety-first straitjacket that has plagued the national team for decades.
No more tiptoeing through games, no more reactive set-ups, no more tactical cowardice. It is time for adventure and bravery.
Under Southgate, England developed a reputation for being cautious and rigid. Even with a golden generation of technical wizards, football often lacked imagination, spark, and risk.
Southgate and his predecessors played not to lose rather than to win. This mindset inevitably collapses under World Cup pressure.
Tuchel must break that cycle. He has the tools. Palmer, Bukayo Saka, Jude Bellingham, Eberechi Eze and Kobbie Mainoo are players who thrive on flair, movement and expression. Let them cook.
Let the ball move quickly. Encourage risk. Tuchel must get his team to choose tempo and freedom over shape and control.
Playing conservatively might get you to a quarter-final. Playing bravely wins tournaments. Just ask Euro 2024 champions Spain.
Luis de la Fuente positioned his team to dominate games, and they did. Front-foot football has been a hallmark of their success over the past 17 years.
Tuchel was bold in his early days at Chelsea. But even he can become trapped by the fear of losing. He cannot afford that with England.
Fortune favours the brave. And bravery, in this case, means backing your most dynamic players to outscore and outplay the opposition.
Play to win. Carry this mantra not just in attitude but in personnel and set-up. Let England be the team that others fear, not the one that waits for a counterpunch.
If Tuchel dares to be brave, he might bring it home.
